Federal Money Is Now A Go For Albuquerque ART Project

Millions in federal funding has been up in the air for the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system, or ART, since its construction in 2016. The money’s now a sure thing. Mayor Tim Keller announced on Tuesday the Federal Transit Authority will be pitching in $75 million for the ART line.

The funding will come in increments.

"It’s been a long road for this city on this project, and we are not out of the woods yet. We still have a ways to go. But we can balance our books and we can be straightforward that residents’ tax dollars are restored, and that our financial house for this project is now in order," Keller said.

ART has been plagued with problems. The platforms vary in height, and there are potential traffic hazards at some intersections on the route. Technical issues with the buses and the construction are the biggest concern now. According to the contractors and the bus manufacturers, the city will not have to pay extra for those fixes.

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Construction workers tore up Albuquerque’s main avenue for well over a year installing ART, or Albuquerque Rapid Transit. And even though the new stations light up at night, the system isn’t working. The city’s new mayor said at a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 9, that ART has a ways to go before it’s operational.

By the end of this year, Albuquerque drivers will be able to head up and down Central Avenue without seeing bulldozers and cranes. Heavy construction on the Albuquerque Rapid Transit Project is scheduled to end this month. For over a year, about 10 miles of Central have been torn up and worked on. This sparked protests, discussion and anti-ART signs around the city. Construction workers said the hard work and unpleasant interactions they face are part of the job. KUNM visited the Cornell and San Pedro ART bus stations.